


Flowers for Arcadia

by orphan_account



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: F/F, pricefield
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-29
Updated: 2015-06-29
Packaged: 2018-04-06 21:21:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4237053
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Florist!AU. While working at the Arcadia Floral shop, Max finds a new reason to enjoy the meanings of flowers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Flowers for Arcadia

Flipping idly through the photography magazine in front of her, Max sighed, tapping her fingers against the pages. Pulling out her phone and checking the time, she internally groaned.

_Just a few more hours until my shift ends._

Tapping on the Facebook app, she began scrolling through her newsfeed, filled with boredom. Though she enjoyed working at Arcadia Bay's only floral shop, simply because she did relatively nothing on her shifts, since barely anyone ever showed up, there were times that Max felt herself wishing for  _something_  to happen.

_I'm just…so bored…_

After finding nothing exciting on Facebook—as usual—Max put her phone back in her pocket, leaning against the counter.

Ahead of her, shelves lined the room and the walls, each one holding a variety of bright, colorful flowers and plants of all sizes and shapes.  _Too bad no one ever comes in to see how beautiful everything here is._

Turning around and pulling up a stool to sit on, Max crossed her arms on the table before lying her head down on them, prepared to take a light nap.

Just as she was dozing off, the door to the front of the small store suddenly slammed open, the small bell at the top of it ringing wildly. Jerking up, Max's heart pounded in her chest— _shit, I hope that's not the boss—_ to see a girl her age standing in the doorway.

"Hello, welcome to—," Max started a little breathlessly, but the girl interrupted her, sprinting forward towards the counter where Max sat.

"Shit, dude, you gotta  _help me!"_

Taken aback at the newcomer's haggard appearance—the girl's blue hair was askew, her lighter blue eyes filled with panic, her hands balling up the front of her black blazer.

"Um, how can I—"

" _I gotta get flowers!"_

"Yeah, well, you've come to the right place," Max said a little irritably, pressing one hand over her heart as she tried to calm herself.  _Jesus. I thought someone died._  "Can you like, chill for a moment and just tell me why you look like you just ran from a bear? Or bears?"

"Sorry, sorry. Name's Chloe," the girl panted, bending forward and putting her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. "My mom's birthday is tonight and I gotta get her  _something_  and I know she likes flowers so I thought I'd come here to get her flowers but I don't know what kind of—"

" _Okay_ , okay," Max cut in abruptly. "I can help. We'll get your mom flowers."

Stepping around the counter, she headed toward one of the numerous shelves, gesturing at the numerous flowers on it. Chloe followed close behind, nervously running one hand through her shock of bright hair.

"Does your mom have a favorite kind of flower?"

"Uh, I dunno," Chloe said, eyes wide as she looked at the variety of options before her.

Thinking for a moment, Max tapped her foot as she tried to remember her what she'd learned a long time ago.

"If it's your mom's birthday, then you probably want something like 'congratulations' or 'long life,' she murmured, carefully pulling out several pink peach blossoms. "Maybe even 'beauty' for ages to come." She picked out some of the white and red plum blossoms as well, holding the small bouquet of flowers in her hand.

"I'm…guessing those flowers mean the shit you just said?" Chloe asked inquisitively.

"Yeah. And I always thought the blossoms were really pretty," Max said thoughtfully, before turning to the girl next to her. "Will these work?"

Chloe nodded fervently. "Anything will work."

The two of them returned to the counter, where Chloe handed Max a few bills. After their exchange was done, Chloe stood there for a moment, the bouquet held awkwardly in her hands.

"Uh, thanks for helping me. Sorry for freakin' you out," she said sheepishly.

Max just rolled her eyes in response. "No problem. Hope your mom has a good birthday, Chloe."

"Thanks, uh—"

"Max."

"Thanks, Max." Chloe stood there for another second, as if she was considering saying something else, before she turned and headed out the door, the bell jingling softly as she left.

Sitting back down on her stool, Max couldn't help but smile softly.  _Well, that was exciting._  Checking her watch, she noted that it was almost time to close up shop.  _I guess I got my wish that something would happen today._

* * *

It was a few days later when Chloe returned to the floral shop.

Max stood at the counter, phone held in her hand as she read through a fanfiction.

Glancing up when the bell jingled softly, Max raised her eyebrows as Chloe took a few hesitant steps into the room.

"Hey," Chloe said, smiling as she came to the counter.

Noticing that Chloe was much more composed than before, Max returned the smile.

"Hey yourself. Did your mom like the flowers?"

"Totally did. Thought they were really pretty."

"Good to know," Max said lightly. "So, how can I help you today?"

"Oh, shit, right," Chloe said under her breath, shaking her head as if remembering that she'd come here for another reason. "Um, in that flower language, how do you say, 'I'm sorry I fucked up'?"

Max burst out laughing at Chloe's embarrassed expression, shaking her head. Putting her phone back in her pocket and walking around the counter again, Max asked, "Do you mind if I ask what you did?"

As the two of them headed towards another shelf of flowers, Chloe put her hands behind her head as she told her story. "Okay, well, last night I was out doing shit."

"Wow, really," Max said dryly, pulling out some olive branches— _peace_   _is probably what Chloe's aiming for_.

Chloe just nudged Max's shoulder with her elbow. "I got caught doing graffiti at Blackwell's parking lot, so mom's kinda angry she had to come bail me out…again."

"Again?" she asked, gently tugging out some pink peonies from a tube.  _Chloe seems a bit ashamed that she was caught._

"I get into trouble. Sometimes," Chloe said, biting her lip.

_So Chloe's a blue-haired punk troublemaker. Nice._

Immediately after having that thought, Max shook her head, surprised at herself.  _Woah, okay. Focus, Max. Flowers for Chloe._

After carefully taking out some dark pink roses—she did her best to avoid the thorns—and adding them to the bouquet in her hand, Max considered the combination of flowers carefully.  _These roses mean gratitude, so maybe this is a way to say thanks for bailing me out, Mom._

Chloe stood by her shoulder. "What's with all the pink shit?"

Her train of thought suddenly derailed, Max rolled her eyes and said, "These flowers basically say I'm sorry I fucked up, thanks for bailing me out, and don't be mad."

Grinning, Chloe said earnestly, "That sounds awesome."

"I hope you don't come in for any more apology bouquets, Chloe," Max chuckled as the two headed back to the counter.

"I haven't been caught that many times," Chloe muttered. When Max just gave her a look, she gave an exasperated sigh. "Okay, fine. I've been caught a lot."

"Well, try not to get caught anymore, 'kay? I doubt your mom wants to see her daughter in jail."

Rolling her eyes, Chloe said, "Sure."

After Max was done ringing up the flowers, Chloe did the same thing that she'd done last time—she paused for a moment.

"So, how come you know all this flower stuff?"

Sighing, Max leaned forward and put her elbows on the counter, her head in her hands. "Had to memorize all the meanings when I started working here." Chewing thoughtfully on the inside of her cheek, she continued, "But it's been a while since I've had to actually think about the meanings of flowers. Usually the one person who comes by every now and then already has an idea of what they want."

Chloe seemed surprised at that information. "Wait, no one ever comes here?"

Max just nodded in response. "Yeah. Most of my shifts I'm just here by myself."

Something seemed to be working in Chloe's mind, and she noticed that it took a moment for Chloe to respond.

"Cool," Chloe said, swallowing. "I mean, uh, I gotta go. I'll see you later, Max!" She turned and hurriedly made her way out the door, the little bell chiming softly in her wake.

Taking out her phone and pulling up the fanfiction again, Max wondered if it was irony or humor that had the two characters she was reading about be a loud troublemaker and a reserved nerd.

* * *

When Max returned for her next shift, she found her boss in the break room, seemingly waiting for her.

Her boss, Martha, was a small, old lady—but Max knew better than to underestimate her. She'd seen Martha hold her ground and even use her cane to beat the shit out of rebellious kids who tried to fuck with her flowers. Max was thankful she'd never gotten on Martha's bad side, and as she saw her boss sitting at the small table now, her heart pounded in her chest as her mind went into overdrive.

_Shit. Martha never shows up unless something important happened. Fuck. Oh shit—_

"Max! Good to see you," the old woman said cheerfully, using her cane to poke at the chair across from her. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Of course, ma'am," Max said, swallowing, her hand held tightly around the strap of the bag at her side. She sat down, looking carefully at Martha's gentle expression.

"You look terrified, dear. You're not in trouble," Martha chuckled. "I was wondering if you know of a blue-haired girl named Chloe."

Surprised at where this conversation was going, Max just nodded. "Yeah, she came by a few times."

"How many times?" Martha asked, placing her cane against the table and clasping her hands in her lap.

"Twice, ma'am."

"Twice," the elderly woman said thoughtfully. Max was unsure of how to respond to that, so she stayed quiet; internally, her thoughts were going haywire.  _Shit. If Chloe fucked with Martha's flowers—_

"Well, Chloe came by twice this week, asking if you were in. Naturally, you weren't," Martha said after a moment. "I let her know that you'd be in today. Normally I don't give out my employees' work schedules, but the girl told me she wanted to thank you."

Confused, Max blurted, "Thank me?"

"Yes, yes, dear. She said that you'd helped her when she'd came by, and she wanted to return the favor," Martha said, slowly standing up and grasping her cane for support. "I imagine that she'll be here any second. The poor girl was always so eager when she came in, and so disappointed when she left."

Max stood up as well, following Martha out to the main shop. "But I'm glad you're doing such a wonderful job here, dear. It's always so wonderful to know that my flowers are bringing people together," she said wistfully, gently reaching out and brushing the petals of a blossom with her thumb.

"I agree, ma'am."

"I'll be going now, Max. Take care of my flowers for me," Martha said, heading towards the exit and waving a hand behind her as she opened the door. "Oh, and good luck with Chloe, dear. Though I'm sure you won't need it." The old woman laughed, and the slight jingle of the bell as the door closed just added to her merriment.

 _Good luck?_   _What does she mean?_

Heading back to the counter and taking her usual place on the stool, Max bit her lip, thinking over what Martha had just told her.  _Thank me? For what? I didn't do a lot. Just gave her flowers…_

She'd barely finished her last thought before she heard the familiar chime of the bell, and just as Martha had said, Chloe was standing in the doorway.

"Max! You're here!" Chloe said excitedly, bounding forward, a brown paper bag in her hand.

"Hey, Chloe," Max said tentatively, trying to understand Chloe's enthusiasm.

"I got this shit for you, because your flower voodoo totally made my mom think I'm some hardcore flower boss." She turned over the brown bag in her hand and dumped its contents on the counter.

"Candy? You got me a shitton of candy," Max said deadpan, reaching forward and picking up small red bag of Skittles. There was a huge variety among the small packets on the counter, from M&M's, to Sour Patch Kids, to Starbursts, to Nerds—it was like Chloe had raided the entire candy section of a supermarket.

Freezing in place, Chloe's expression suddenly turned hesitant and uncertain. "Do…do you not like candy?"

"I—"

" _I'll get you something else!"_  Chloe blurted, whipping around and sprinting out of the store.

" _Chloe_ , wait—!"

Max needn't have bothered when Chloe came running back in ten seconds later.

"Shit, I forgot to ask what you wanted!" she said hurriedly, hands nervously balling up the front of her blazer.

"Chloe, chill! It's fine!" Max reached a hand out to gently hold onto Chloe's arm. "It's fine," she breathed. "I was joking, before. This is totally awesome."

She felt a bit of relief when she saw Chloe relax a little.

"But seriously, why'd you get me all of this? I didn't really do anything."

Chloe was shaking her head before she'd even finished. "No, you helped me. Not a lot of people do that."

"It's…why I'm here, Chloe," Max said slowly, pulling her hand away.

"Yeah, I know, but like still." Looking down at the ground, her hands gripping the edge of the counter, Chloe was silent for a moment. "I just really wanted to say thanks. For helping me and stuff."

"You're, uh, you're welcome," Max stammered, overcome with emotions for a brief minute—no one had ever gone this far to thank her for something so simple. "Here—help me eat some of this. I can't get through all this candy on my own."

Chloe looked up then, suddenly hopeful. "Yeah, yeah. No problem."

As the two shared the giant pile of candy, talking about themselves, Max wondered, as she ripped open a bag of M&M's, if exchanging flowers and chocolate was how all relationships started.

* * *

Anytime Max showed up for her shift, she would text Chloe—and of course, Chloe arrived soon after.

More often than not, the two found themselves walking among Martha's flowers, talking about the plant life among them as a way to pass the time.

"What's this one mean?" Chloe asked, pointing at a white flower with green anthers sprouting up from its center.

"Those are pear blossoms. They usually mean a long-lasting friendship."

Chloe went quiet for a moment, looking at the delicate blossom in her hand. "Oh."

She noticed that every time she mentioned something that could possibly relate to the two of them, Chloe would say nothing for a brief time, as if she was in deep in thought. It was times like those that Max wished she knew what Chloe was thinking, and when she prayed that Chloe was maybe thinking the same thing as her…

"How'd you learn all this flower stuff anyway? Did your boss show you?" Chloe asked one day as the two stood in front of shelf lined with all colors of roses.

"Kind of. I went to college for two years, but I'm taking a gap year right now. My art professor was really into painting flowers, so we did that a few times in class," Max said mildly, reaching up and picking out a white rose and a red rose.

"I grew up around here. How come I've never seen you until now?" Chloe asked curiously.

"I lived in Seattle—after I went to college, my parents wanted to move into a nice beach house, all to themselves," Max laughed, remembering their reactions when she'd told them she needed time off from school. "So that's how I'm here in Arcadia Bay."

"But how'd you get this job?"

"My mom's friends with my boss. Apparently my boss babysat my mom when she was younger." Turning the two roses in her hand, Max wondered if Chloe knew that red and white roses meant  _being together._

Chloe chuckled. "And now you're babysitting your boss's flowers."

"Yeah, yeah I am," Max said quietly, putting the roses back on the shelf.

When she came in for her next shift, Chloe was already waiting by the front door.

"Hey, Maxaroni," she grinned, snuffing the end of her cigarette against the wall behind her.

Rolling her eyes as she let the two of them in, Max responded, "You better not let Martha catch you smoking outside her shop. She'd beat the shit out of you."

Chloe snorted. "No one can beat the shit out of me. I'm too badass."

"Mhm, right, badass," Max mused as she headed into the break room and put down her bag.

From inside the store, she heard Chloe say, "I'll prove it! Come out here and I'll show you how badass I am."

Silently praying that Chloe wasn't going to set everything in the store on fire, Max returned to her usual counter, where Chloe awaited.

"Please don't fuck shit up," was the first thing that came out of her mouth when she saw Chloe's eager expression.

"I'm not gonna do anything stupid, Jesus," Chloe said under her breath before pulling off her blazer—the first thing that caught Max's eye was the intricate tattoo sleeve along her friend's right arm.

Immediately going around the counter to stand in front of Chloe, Max just stared in awe, not breathing as her eyes ran down from Chloe's shoulder to her hand, following the red ribbon that wound around vines and thorns, whose crimson flowers— _hibiscus?_ —were complimented with blue butterflies, the colors of their wings almost the same shade as Chloe's eyes and hair, as  _forget-me-nots_ …

" _Holy shit_ ," Max whispered.

"Totally badass, right?" Chloe said smugly, seemingly satisfied with Max's reaction.

"Chloe, this is really cool," Max breathed, unconsciously reaching a hand up to touch Chloe's arm; she stopped when she realized what she was doing, but Chloe took a step forward.

"You can touch it," she said, faintly blushing, but Max didn't notice as she too came closer to Chloe, one finger gently tracing the outline of the red flower above the golden skull in the center of the tattoo.

"This is so beautiful," Max murmured. "It's almost as pretty as—" Her heart suddenly sped up and she had to swallow back the rest of what she'd almost said.  _It's almost as pretty as you._

"As pretty as what?" she heard Chloe ask, and she looked up—their faces were just inches apart, and Max could see the irises of Chloe's eyes. Closest to the center, her eyes were the color of Russian perennials _,_ as light as the sky. The outer edges were the same shade as spring gentians, an impossibly radiant dark blue…

"…Max?" Chloe said tentatively, and Max pulled away, blinking.

"Um, what?" she said in a daze as she was thrust back into reality. Feeling the heat rising to her face, Max looked away, praying that Chloe hadn't noticed just how long she must've been staring…

"N-n-nothing, never mind," Chloe stammered. "I, uh, it totally hurt like a bitch getting the tattoo, and—"

As Chloe babbled on about the story of her adventure at the at the tattoo parlor, Max did her best to focus—but when the only thing in the room to pay attention to was the incredibly hot punk in front of her, she found it difficult to keep her mind together.  _God…I need to pull myself together._

"—and that's why I'm a total badass," Chloe finished, biting her lip, her face still slightly red.

"Yeah, badass," Max responded slowly after a short moment, looking up into Chloe's face again—something in her mind reminded her to breathe.

"Hey, are you okay?" Chloe's expression turned concerned, and she reached out to hold Max's hand in hers.

"Um," was all Max managed to say as she became hyperaware of how warm Chloe's hand was, and how gently it held her own.  _Oh my God, Max, just pull yourself together! Stop acting so weird!_

"Yeah, no, I'm fine," she said a little breathlessly, a little too quickly—and Chloe's hand just tightened around her own.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, no worries, I, uh, just need to get a drink of water. Be back in sec."

"Okay. I'll be here."

As she got back into the break room, she took a moment to collect her thoughts. Pulling a water bottle out of her bag, Max leaned against the wall, pressing one hand to her temple.  _Need to figure out what I'm feeling_. First, the way Chloe's insane attractiveness had totally made her brain go blank. Second, the way Chloe's hand in hers had made her heart pound in her chest. And third, the way Chloe's concern for her had made her wonder…

_The two of us? Maybe…Maybe it could happen._

* * *

Whatever hopes Max had were crushed soon after.

When Chloe came to visit the shop the next time, she looked slightly nervous, hands shoved into her pockets as she came to the counter.

"Hey, uh, I need some help picking out some flowers."

Putting down her book, Max just raised an eyebrow. "Well, you came to the right place."

"I kinda want something that means like, 'thanks a shitton.'"

Max burst out laughing as she walked around the counter and towards a shelf close by. "I can give you these," she said, picking out several light purple Canterbury Bells and handing them to Chloe, who stood just behind her. "Not exactly 'thanks a shitton,' but they do mean gratitude and appreciation."

As they came to the counter again and Max rang her up, she asked offhandedly, "Who are these flowers for, Chloe?"

Her friend just shifted from foot to foot, looking uncomfortable as she gripped the flowers in her hand; Max was reminded of the first few times Chloe had came by, when she'd awkwardly stood in front of the counter, as if she was waiting for something.

After a brief silence and no response, Max spoke up. "Chloe…?"

"Uh, um, thanks, Max! Gotta go bye!" Chloe said quickly, her face incredibly red—before whipping around and speeding out of the shop, leaving Max confused and perplexed at her reaction.

 _Okay…_ was all Max was able to think as the door swung closed.

Chloe's next visit was like the last.

She asked for something along the lines of 'thanks for putting up with me.' Though Max had trouble translating that completely, she managed to find several asters, their thin purple petals a stark contrast to the white daisies she paired them with.  _Patience_  was the closest thing she could find, and she hoped that it'd be enough. Again, Chloe waited for several moments after Max rang her up, and then quickly departed.

_Something's up with her. I wonder what…_

When Chloe arrived next, she asked for flowers that would say 'you're really fucking pretty.' This was a bit easier for Max to put together; crimson hibiscus flowers and burgundy roses easily told of a delicate kind of beauty.

Curiosity got the better of her, and as Max handed the flowers back to Chloe over the counter, she asked, "Really, Chloe. Who are you getting these for? Whenever I ask, you speed out like you've seen a ghost."

Holding the flowers in one hand, Chloe raised the other and nervously ran it through her vibrant blue hair, not looking Max in the eye.

"Uh, well. I just…uh…wanted to get these flowers for, um, someone I like."

Something caved in on itself inside her chest, and disappointment washed over Max as she tried to resist looking crestfallen. "Oh," was all she managed to say, looking away.  _And of course, that someone isn't me._

A pregnant silence came between them, and Chloe took a tentative step forward to the counter, as if she wanted to say something more—but instead, she just choked out, "See you later, Max!" before speeding out the door.

Sighing, Max just sat down on her stool, doing her best to fend off the inevitable dismay that came to her.  _Guess it was too much to hope for…Well, I hope whoever gets those flowers likes them._

* * *

As Max put her bag down in the break room, she heard the jingling of the bell as someone entered the shop, and she hurriedly made her way back out—only to see Martha and another blonde woman talking animatedly to each other.

"Max, dear! I wanted to introduce you to someone," Martha said cheerfully as her and her companion came forward to the counter.

"This is Max? You really are a beautiful, young woman," the blonde woman said kindly, and Max reached forward and hesitantly shook her offered hand.

"This is Joyce Price, dear. She wanted to come see you in person and thank you! Like mother, like daughter," Martha laughed, making her way behind the counter and sitting on Max's usual stool, placing her cane against the closest wall.

_Wait, like mother—_

"Chloe's told me all about you," Joyce said lightly, looking over all the plants that lined the shelves. "She talks about you so often, and comes home with the most  _beautiful_  flowers—I wanted to come thank you for keeping Chloe out of trouble."

"Uh, that's, great?" Max said hesitantly, unsure of how to react.

"It really is! Chloe keeps bringing home all these nice flowers—why, the other day she brought home these gorgeous red roses—"

" _Red roses?_ " Max squeaked.

"Ah, yes! You showed me the picture—the dark red roses and hibiscus flowers. Wonderful combination, a great way to show beauty," Martha chuckled, and she reached out and gave an approving pat on Max's shoulder. "You're doing a wonderful job, dear. I'm so grateful you're here."

Max barely heard anything of what her boss was saying to her. "Wait, Chloe brings the flowers home? She doesn't give them to anyone?"

Joyce turned and looked at her then, her expression perplexed. "No, she just comes home and puts them in a vase in our kitchen. Then she'll go into her usual spiel about you," Joyce laughed, but all Max could feel was confusion. "But honestly, Chloe just spends her time now reading about flowers, thank goodness. Glad she's doing something productive…"

As Joyce trailed on, Max just tried to make sense of the tumult of thoughts in her head.  _Chloe…doesn't give the flowers to anyone. But then what…?_

"…such a good influence on her. But I've taken up enough of your time—thank you again, Max," Joyce finished, reaching forward and patting Max on the arm. "I can't wait to see what you give Chloe next!"

With that, Joyce gave a brief goodbye to Martha as well before leaving.

The moment the door closed behind Chloe's mother, Max turned to see Martha just giggling, looking at her.

Taken aback by the bizarre youthfulness coming from the old woman and feeling the heat rising to her face, Max just stammered, "W-w-what?"

"Oh, dear, if only you knew," Martha burst out laughing, getting up from the stool and taking her cane. Prodding Max's toe with the end of her cane, the elderly woman seemed to be in high spirits as she said, "You'll see soon enough, Max, soon enough."

* * *

When Max came in for her next shift, she'd barely sat down on her usual stool when the bell at the door jingled—looking up, she saw Chloe standing in the doorway, her expression nervous and anxious.

"Hey, Chl—"

"What'd my mom say?"

"What?"

"My mom told me she came here and talked to you! What'd she say?" Chloe asked urgently, coming up to the counter and tightly gripping the edges of the top.

"Uh, she just wanted to thank me for keeping you out of trouble," Max said, confused at Chloe's agitation.

"Oh. Okay. Whew. Cool." Relief washed over the girl's features, and she leaned against the counter. "I, uh, came here to get some flowers again."

"Are you going to run out on me again, Chloe?" Max asked as she came around the counter—just as she was about to head over to one of the aisles, she felt Chloe's hand wrap around her wrist, pulling her back.

"No, no. I'll get the flowers today. You just, um, wait here and shit."

When Max raised an eyebrow, Chloe just gave an exasperated huff. "I can do it, Max. I got this."

"Sure, Chloe," she replied as she watched Chloe head around the shelves, pulling out flowers.

First, she saw that her friend had picked out pink camellias, their numerous petals fanning out in a way that resembled an open rose.  _Excellence. Or I guess in Chloe's words, 'badassness.'_

What came next were the white daffodils that her friend added to the growing collection of flowers in her hand.  _A new beginning. I guess like a new relationship._

Violets, colored the same shade as the ocean in the afternoon, were added as well.  _Loyalty, faithfulness. Damn. Chloe's going all out._

Then Chloe picked up stems with magenta heathers along its length.  _…Admiration_ ,  _adoration._  Max's heart ached at that thought, and she realized that Chloe was picking out flowers for the person she liked.  _Guess she's taking it a step farther._

What came last were the classic, red roses, and Max saw Chloe carefully placing them in her hand, avoiding the sharp thorns along their stems.  _Love. True love._

"Wow, Chloe, I hope whoever you like likes those," Max said half-jokingly, trying to push away the sadness in her heart that she wouldn't be receiving a bouquet like that anytime soon.  _Guess Chloe's finally got the guts to give 'em to who she likes._ She made to turn to go around the counter and ring Chloe up, as usual—but Chloe's free hand closed around her own.

Stopping and turning around, Max opened her mouth to say something—only to be met with Chloe's blushing and embarrassed face.

Taken aback, Max just stuttered, "C-C-Chloe?"

Chloe shoved the flowers into Max's hand and mumbled something, looking away.

"What?" Max asked, confused.

"These—these flowers are for you!"

"Like, you want me to wrap them, or—"

"No, god,  _shit_ , fuck!" Chloe just threw her hands up in the air while Max uncertainly held the bouquet of flowers in her hands.

"Ugh, shit, I knew this would be a stupid idea," she heard Chloe say under her breath.

"What's a stupid idea? Chloe, I can wrap them if you want—"

"No, Max, god! I just, like, these flowers, I'm  _giving_  them to you!" Chloe sputtered.

"I don't un—"

"Because I  _like_  you!" Chloe blurted, and she looked Max in the face then—the two just stood there, Max, her mouth open in shock, and Chloe, her face almost as red as the roses in Max's hand.

"You…these flowers, are for  _me_?" Max asked incredulously, unable to believe what was happening.

"Yeah, like, when I came in before, to get all those flowers and shit, like I thought I'd be smooth and just buy the flowers and then hand them back to you," Chloe rambled, looking down and nervously tugging at the end of her blazer. "But then I just chickened out each time because I was scared shitless that you wouldn't like me back but my mom kept asking me why I was bringing flowers home and I told her about you and then she wanted to go meet you and I was scared she told you that I'm totally crushing on you and shit—," she had to take a deep breath before continuing at her almost breakneck pace. "And then I was like fuck it I'll just do it today so, um, yeah," Chloe finished lamely, biting her lip and looking back up to see Max's expression.

She just stared back, open-mouthed. "You…you like me?"

Chloe buried her face in her hands. "Okay, shit, it's cool if you don't like me back, don't worry about it," and she turned to leave, but Max hurriedly placed the bouquet on the counter before managing to say, "Chloe, wait."

Chloe stopped, and just watched in surprise as Max darted towards a shelf of flowers; Max made sure that the flower she'd chosen remained hidden from view, and as her heart pounded in her chest, she prayed that this would work.

Hiding the flower behind her back as she came back to Chloe, she shakily held her hand out, offering the girl she liked a delicate primrose.

"You…you know what these mean, right?" Max asked a little breathlessly as Chloe just stared, wide-eyed, as she reached forward and held the primrose in between her fingers.

"You like me back," Chloe whispered, and her face suddenly broke out into a broad smile, her eyes bright with joy.

"Yeah, I do—" and suddenly Chloe's arms were around her, and the both of them were laughing, filled with happiness.

As they pulled away, Chloe's delight radiated off of her in waves, and Max couldn't help but feel the same.

"So, is there a way to say, 'Can I kiss you?' in flower language?" Chloe asked, biting her lip as she looked down at Max.

"You don't need flowers to ask me that," and with that, Max tugged down on Chloe's shirt, bringing them together.

* * *

It was only later when Martha had to review the security footage for her shop because some hoodlums had decided to steal the goddamn bell at the top of the door that she found the scene of Max and Chloe.

Smug, she turned around and called to her wife, "Hah! Elise! Look at this! I  _told_  you my flowers always bring people together!"

Elise came into the room, and the two watched the footage. Grumbling, Elise reached into her pocket for a crisp, twenty dollar bill and handed it to Martha's outstretched hand.

"Ugh,  _here_ , Martha. You and your damn flowers, I swear," the other woman said, shaking her head—but she too was smiling as well.

"You know you love 'em, dear," Martha chortled. "We wouldn't have met if you hadn't tried to climb over my garden fence and fallen into my rosebush."

"And gotten an ass full of thorns, but true enough," Elise said, rolling her eyes. "Glad those two got their happy ending."

"Just like us," Martha finished, turning around and smiling fondly at the two girls on the screen.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so this AU idea came from this prompt on Tumblr that was like: _you come to my flower shop everyday and you always ask me the names and the meanings behind them and one day you bought a bouquet and just handed them back to me._ And I was like, hey! this is cute AF, lemme just write this. I hope you guys like it!
> 
> [my eyes burn from how many tabs I had to keep open...about all the flowers...so DISCLAIMER I went to a few websites to get the flower meanings, so it might not be their actual real meaning]


End file.
